Tissue clouds

Roll up Roll up!

2011-09-26T20:09:00.005+01:00

Yesterday I went to the circus for the very first time! Sam and I went for a quick walk on the Heath and noticed that one was set up... the next showing in half an hour! So we bought tickets and went in!

After having watched 'Water for Elephants' just a couple of weeks ago I really didn't know what to expect but it was brilliant!

The trapeze artists were brilliant, there were budgies that did tricks, dancing horses, a woman who juggled fire whilst upside down on a motorbike, trumpet playing clowns and the finalee, three motorcyclists driving round the inside of a globe! I would definately reccomend it to anyone - although maybe go to an evening showing as we were surrounded by young children!

Hanging on the telephone....

2011-09-10T14:06:00.009+01:00

Sorry for the lack of posts... I have just finished my first full week in my job and need to get used to my new routine... x I am absolutely loving it so far, although my first two shoots were postponed.. jinxed?x here are a few iphone pix of what i have been up to though xx

Boardwalk empire :)

2011-09-01T22:11:00.001+01:00

season 2 is out soon!.. can't wait!

Reading

2011-08-30T14:29:00.004+01:00

I think I am now finally clean again after an unexpected weekend at Reading Festival... my friend had a spare pass so we ended up camping all weekend. Whilst I do feel quite old at reading, and somewhat jaded... it was still brilliant fun, especially with so many teenage favourites on the bill!

My highlights were the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Warpaint, Offspring and Friendly Fires.

Back in the Shire.....

2011-08-25T08:59:00.004+01:00

I finally made a long overdue visit to my mum in Surrey, I haven't been home since christmas! crazy! x

We went to the Gomshall mill for lunch which is the cutest pub with a mill running through the middle of it

my brother..

I ate the hugest chicken cider and leek pie - yum :) x

Then we stopped off at Silent Pool, an amazing spring and pond that is meant to be haunted.

We also stopped off in Shere, the next village on from my Mum's where they filmed 'The Holiday' and some of Bridget Jones...

Finally we went Blackberry and Apple picking in the back garden and baked an apple crumble cake - yum :)

Winning!

2011-08-22T11:06:00.003+01:00

Yay.. I am so happy! xx Today I can announce the Aussie Winners... and as I had 7 packs to give away, and 7 of you entered I don't have to leave anyone out! xx Phew!!! xx

So the winners are:

Piera, Kathryn, Eleanor, Stacie, Laura, Hannah and German Green eyed monster (name!?) most amazing reason to celebrate - massive hugs x

I'll email you all now to get addresses and the products you'd like :) xx

Ok.... so now its time to PARTY!!!!

2011-08-16T20:03:00.003+01:00

Well, after my past few days I am definitely ready to party!.. and how apt that on my unexpected last day at work Aussie sent me a party pack! (seriously did they know something I didn't!?)

So, to celebrate, and as the perfect way to put a little more time into my blog you too can win an Aussie party pack! ( I know - awesome!)

The 'official' reason to party is that it is Australia's 110 year Aussie-versary (see what they did there!?) but I prefer my reason... or yours.. what is yours?!

Tell me what you are celebrating or want to celebrate (speaking of celebrating anything can anyone remember where 'champagne Tuesdays' came from!? a film/book!? ) and you can win one of the the same party packs i had! x

You also get to choose which bril Aussie products you want included:

Take The Heat range – shampoo, conditioner, 3MM, heat-protection cream, heat-protection spray – For beautifully blow-dried hair wrap these products around your locks.

Miracle Moist – Shampoo, conditioner, 3MM – These heavenly products infuse moisture into dry damaged hair, leaving hair quenched, luscious, smooth and conditioned faster than you can say ‘shine on me’.

Luscious Long – Shampoo, conditioner, 3MM, leave-in conditioner – Blended with wonderful lovelies like Blue Mountain Eucalyptus extract, these products help transform weak, distressed hair into luscious locks.

Also if you are one of the seven winners then you get entered into a challenge to win VIP tickets to the Aussie party on October 29th! not just for yourself.. but for 9 friends!!!! (the last one was brilliant fun!) Aussie have said (and I quote) that this one 'will be our biggest, most exclusive party yet!

To win just follow my blog, leave me a comment explaining what you would celebrate, and some way of contacting you (email/twitter) and I'll let you know by August 23rd! Or if you have a blog and would prefer then you can do a blog post on it and leave me a link :) easy!

Terms and conditions are here

Good Luck!!! xxx

Catch up!

2011-08-16T19:41:00.008+01:00

So, while I have been stressing over life and jobs over the past few weeks I have also....

been looting! (not really!)

been setting my hair..

been hugging polar bears

been dressing up

been to the theatre

and been dancing like a crazy person at a wedding :)

New Start

2011-08-16T17:03:00.004+01:00

I really don't know where to begin on this post, I have always wanted my blog to be somewhere where i can be completely honest but the line between being professional and posting something on the internet is a very high and wavy one!

In short, last week I quit my job!... Although to many my job may have seemed perfect ( I organised photo shoots for a photographer) I had been extremely unhappy for a long time, and that influenced everything else in my life.. from my friendships to my blog (sorry blog!) x I have now quit, and while the stress is not quite over ( I don't have to work my notice period but am currently phoneless and was essentially kicked out of the office) I cannot wait to start my new position (same role, new photographer) and I also cannot wait to start to feel happier again.

I am never going to have a 9-5 job and love production but I cannot wait to come home (even if it is late) happy and not dragging negativity around with me.

Hopefully this will seep into my blog as I was feeling really unmotivated, and I know that at the very least I am going to use my week off to dust the cobwebs off ol' tissueclouds! x

Michelle as Marilyn

2011-08-08T14:51:00.003+01:00

Premiering at New York Film Festival in October 'My Week with Marilyn' staring Michelle Williams looks great! It is the story of one Man's brush with Marilyn, Laurence Olivier and Arthur Miller in 1956. I can't wait! x

Sunday's recipe's

2011-08-08T00:48:00.003+01:00

Here are some of sunday's recipes...

Lemon curd - to cook, can you believe it, in a microwave!

200g Caster Sugar

100g Unsalted Butter

250ml Lemon juice

lemon zest

3 eggs

Beat together the sugar and eggs, add the softened butter, keep mixing and add the lemon and lemon zest...

then put the whole lot in the microwave for 30seconds, take out, stir... back in microwave, take out stir and on and on until the mix is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.. then pour into jars and leave.. amazing! I am now going to make this all the time, I had no idea it was so easy!

Chocolate brownies...

200g butter

125g dark chocolate

150g plain flour

440g caster sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

4 eggs

icing sugar

2 tbsp cocoa

preheat the oven to 180c, place the butter and chocolate in medium saucepan, over a low heat and stir until melted and smooth.

place the flour, sugar and cocoa, and baking powder in a bowl... add the eggs and chocolate mixture and stir well.

place in a lightly greased 20 x 30cm rectangular cake tin.

bake for 40 to 50 mins

cool and dust with icing powder, or in my case cover in chocolate icing :)

Lemon, Coconut cloud cake... wow.. perfect with the homemade lemon curd aswell! x

for the cake:

225g unsalted butter

225g caster sugar

1/2 lemon zest

5 eggs

225g self raising flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

100g desiccated coconut

for the filling and topping:

450g full fat cheese

125ml coconut cream

zest of 1 lemon

100g icing sugar

8tbsp lemon curd

100g dessicated cocnut

2 22cm cake tins

preheat the oven to 170c, butter and flour the cake tins..

to make the sponge, first beat together the butter, sugar and lemon zest.

add the eggs one at a time with a spoonfool of flour between (this stops it curdling) and mixing well.

add the remaining flour, and the baking powder and coconut

mix well.

divide the mixture between the tins, place in the oven for 25 mins.

to decorate, beat together the cream cheese, coconut cream, lemon zest and icing sugar .

slice both halfs of the cake in half again. to make 4 layers.

spread lemon curd on one layer, then sit another layer on top, then spread a good dollop of the cream mixture over this one and place the third layer on top. spread over the remaining lemon curd and add the final layer. the rest of the cream can now be spread all over the top and the sides to give a cloud effect

I then covered the whole lot is sliced coconut aswell! Amazing! x

pick 'n' mix weekend

2011-08-07T10:11:00.007+01:00

Recently I have been feeling very run down and stressed (probably the reason for the rather sparse blogging - sorry) and this weekend was a perfect battery recharge.

On Saturday Madeleine and I headed over to the Vintage Pick n Mix on Brick Lane, which was I have to admit not very good in terms of thrifting - all 80s loud shirts!.. although Madeleine found a great skirt and hat

and I did manage a few tourist scarves (which i promptly washed at home) and then we mooched about, checked out the new Vintage store Blitz... great building, slightly unreliable stock!, and had a brilliant fish and chips at Poppies.

Then Sunday was all about the kitchen. I made a roast butternut squash soup, lemon curd (how amazingly easy is lemon curd!) and then Alice came over and we baked brownies and a lemon cloud cake. YUM

The boys are off playing rebellion festival in brighton so it was so lovely to have a relaxing girly weekend.

Vintage at Southbank.. the free bits!

2011-07-31T20:31:00.004+01:00

This week, finally, was Vintage at Southbank... Last year Madeleine and I had a brilliant time at Goodwood so were anxiously awaiting this years event... when we found out it was at Southbank in London there were definately mixed reactions, and after checking all the information out as the event got nearer and nearer we were still no wiser as to how it would pan out and which events were actually on which days.

So as a result we didn't buy tickets, I had pretty much decided not to go at all as the free bits only really included an outside fair... but a surprise free weekend and some of my best friends in town meant that I actually ended up going both days - but still only to the free bits.

The weather was gorgeous and inside the tents was very hot.. trying items on was more a test of trying not to sweat or smudge lipstick! I heard that inside the Royal festival hall paying customers were also sweltering so I was glad to be outside.

The market was packed on both days ( i was rather anxiously trying to make sure no-one stood on my broken toe!) but there was a huge selection of stalls and a great mix between interiors, womenswear, menswear and era's.

The Chap olympiad was also free in the adjourning field, meaning that the two best bits from Goodwood last year could still be enjoyed.

It was strange being open to everyone though and there were a lot of passers through and tourists.. on Saturday I wore a vintage dress, but a 70s one and didn't do my hair or make up at all.. not knowing what to expect I didn't want to look ridiculously out of place. What was so lovely about last year was that it was like another world, where you could dress however you liked without people staring. at Southbank however, there was quite a divide between the 'vintage' and 'non vintage' customers, and it often felt a bit on show. Having said that on sunday, when I made slightly more effort we were given free drinks at ping pong... maybe being gawked at isn't so bad all the time.

I would have liked to go into the Paying bits, and seen the torch club again, but I just didn't feel that the ticket price was justified by what was on offer... I'm eagerly waiting reviews from people who went inside.

Overall whilst it was nice for Vintage to tie in with the Festival of Britain celebrations I do really hope it is a proper weekend away somewhere next year. This year was definately just too much of a packed fair.

Saturday's outfit...

Saturday's purchases.... x

Sundays outfit... (ahem, yes! the skirt I bought on saturday!)

free cocktails in ping pong!

Sunday's purchases x

Tumbling.....

2011-07-30T22:00:00.002+01:00

I'm becoming addicted to tumblr... follow me!

Sunday Supperclub

2011-07-25T15:51:00.003+01:00

Yesterday i was lucky enough to attend the Saltoun Supperclub for a friends Birthday dinner.

Held in Brixton at Arno's house the food was amazing, we even ate chicken hearts! The best bit for me though was nosing around the house... it was perfect - decorated with quirky items all over the place and mismatched vintage furniture - my dream!

Zoo Zoo Zoo

2011-07-24T01:14:00.004+01:00

Last night we went to the zoo! x I hobbled around slowly and drank too much and also bumped into Fiona

Fab night - thankyou to Evelyn for the tickets and for introducing us to egg the penguin :)

Terifa

2011-07-23T21:52:00.005+01:00

Back! After a lovely relaxing time in Spain...Alice and I lay on the beach all week, reading and eating - Lovely! (although i did manage to break my toe on the last day so am now hobbling about!)

This is our plane heading into the UK again... goodbye sun!! x

Couture without Galliano...

2011-07-05T10:21:00.002+01:00

Dior Couture are always my absolute favourite looks so I was a little apprehensive as to how the first collection without Galliano would fare... whilst the cartoon-esque colours and hats are not quite to my fancy there are stil some nice nipped in waists and lady like sillhouettes.... not too shabby x

Giambattista Valli had some looks that wouldn't look amiss on Audrey Hephurn in funny face.. and that black dress!... how amazing would that be in white for a wedding dress.....

Plastic not Fantastic!

2011-06-30T12:14:00.005+01:00

Oh Oh!!..... As many of you will aleady know our little basement flat has a bit of a mould problem, and as a result I am fastidiuous about storing my vintage clothes - I have anti moth cedar clothes hanger toppers, moth repellant bags, garment bags and I often keep dry cleaning bags over dresses to keep them safe...

Although.. apparently it doesn't keep them safe!... when flicking through blogs this morning I caught a sentence on the New York Times blog (before the paywall intervened and my screen went black!) that said plastic bags are bad for clothes!..

Panic then took over and I searched for this ...

'YES! Plastic will act as a vapour barrier liner and trap any air moisture against the fibers. If the garment and bag spend anytime in daylight, the plastic also acts as a rather crude lens and discolours clothing with fading and 'offgassing' of the various chemicals in the petrochemical ingredients. The so called 'breathable' bags fail in that soiling particulates can enter just as easilly as moisture egresses'

'Yes,
Ditch them.
Clothes need to breathe, particularly after ingesting all those toxins at the cleaners :--)

For storage in the closet, you may instead want to make dust covers to keep it clean.'

Noooo...... I need to go home and remove all plastic from my wardrobe now!!... in fact maybe just empty my wardrobe and start again! (obsessive - maybe? but you dont want to see the tantrum when an item of clothing gets ruined!)

A few internet solutions i have found include

'i buy suit covers made out of treated cotton.'

'i also have activated charcoal granules in the bottom of my wardrobe to absorb any moisture.'

and the original site that the Times mentioned... The Butlers closet... gives some great tips..

Remove dry cleaning bags as they are made from petroleum and emit gases that can harm your wardrobe.
Depending on the fabric, you should brush your clothes gently after they have been worn. Let your clothes air before putting them back into your closet.
Clothes should be allowed to rest for at least a day before being worn again.
Wool suits can benefit from a "steam bath" to remove wrinkles and odors. Close doors and windows in the bathroom and run hot water to create a steamy atmosphere. Hang the suit from the curtain rod or a hook and leave it in the room for a while. Then take it out and let it dry completely before putting it into the closet.
Use hangers that hold clothes securely. Avoid thin wire hangers that can leave rust or create
a sharp crease at the shoulder line.
Hang skirts or pants using a hanger with two flat sides, rather than folding pants over a suit hanger bar or using hangers with clips.
Leave buttons on suit jackets unbuttoned while hanging in the closet. This allows the jacket to retain its natural shape as it airs.
Arrange clothing for easy access; move out-of-season clothing to another closet—making sure everything has been washed or dry cleaned before being stored.
Clothing with stains or perspiration should not be put back in the closet. Residue from stains can attract insects.
Store laundry to be cleaned separately—not in your main closet.
Make sure your closets are cool and dry. Damp conditions will encourage mildew.

A few other solutions appear to be customising t-shirts and pillowcases into garment bags... but at this rate i'm not going to be able to choose what to wear without emptying a pile of pillowcases on my bed!

Hello Juno!!

2011-06-29T11:33:00.003+01:00

Last night, after an unexpected Tweet I was lucky enough to attend the Juno Says Hello sale.

If you haven't been onto the site it is definately worth checking out. Taking Vintage clothes to another level in terms of quality and service it is an Amazing website. Ran by Rebecca, who has a great eye, there is no rummaging needed - everything is beautiful.

The evening last night included champagne and cupcakes aswell as a much appreciated 20% off! Despite pay day not being until friday I couldnt resit two beautiful 50's dresses... the velvet one, while it may have to wait until winter to wear is so comfy and my absolute favourite and the black is so classic and useful - (why is it usually so hard to find classic black vintage dresses!.. they are always patternend!)

Anyway after my huge rave (not a sponsored post honestly - I am just a huge fan!!) I cannot reccomend them enough - the dressses are expensive but they are beautiful quality and definately worth it.

Sunday Service

2011-06-27T00:11:00.003+01:00

Sam and I spent sunday being very lazy rather than running to the Heath, like apparently everyone else in london! We did venture outside for a bit though....

This is the cemetary in Hampstead, very pretty despite being a little creepy taking pictures there! x

My dress is Vintage from the Hammersmith Vintage Fair, hat is topshop and the shoes are my new Aldo granny sandals :)

Sugar surprises

2011-06-26T01:29:00.002+01:00

Last week we had houseguests for a couple of nights and they left us an amazing present of cakes and fizz! x come back Andy and Jen we miss you!

Aussie Soiree

2011-06-25T18:10:00.005+01:00

Yesterday I had such a lovely day at the summer soiree organised by the Aussie Hair team. x

me very dressed up for such an early start... x

There were Hairdressers on hand to do everyone's hair.. x

A camera guy to shoot portraits.. here's Emma from Computer Girl striking a pose :)

Alice getting her hair done....

balloons...

a candy floss machine ;)

Tabitha from Scared Toast making candy floss

I got to meet so many truly lovely people :) and of course all the great Aussie Angels from the bootcamp xx

the sun came out!!

Lil from Storm in a teacup

Vic sunbathing :)

Sherin from HiFashion

the lovely Gem from Sparkle Sparkle who had a fab lipstick (Barry M) that colour changes from green!!!

Amazing hair! on Amy from Wolfwhistle

The day went so quickly i didn't even get a chance to talk to everybody! - so many beautiful dresses on display though.. i'm looking forward to checking out everyone elses blogs for pics! x

The rain in spain stays mainly in ... Germany!

2011-06-24T12:35:00.007+01:00

So last weekend for my birthday Sam surprised me with a trip to SouthSide festival in Germany.. the biggest surprise though turned out to be what we were travelling and staying in!.. not a tent oh no!!.. but this!....

despite my initial astonishment it turned out to be the best thing about the weekend as it literally didn't stop raining!.. hence why i have no photo's from outside as I didn't want to ruin my camera!...

we'd stopped off at a french supermarket and stocked up on wine, bread and cheese and the weekend turned into a romantic cosy campervaning trip with candles and champagne rather than the usual music festival!...

Although we did venture into the mud for a few!... Foo Fighters and Incubus were great, as were friendly fires and the sounds :)

but, on the way home our van saviour broke down!.. right on a huge motorway!.... after all sorts of hire company and recovery company details and a change of tyre we had to flag someone down on the motorway for a jump start! - i'm not sure i've ever been as happy as when someone pulled over!!

Birthday Buddies

2011-06-23T13:51:00.003+01:00

Tuesday was my birthday and it was lovely... I had the day off to recover from Southside (more on that later!) had a brilliant lunch with my dad then went to the Holly Bush with friends - perfect! xx

Southside

2011-06-16T14:10:00.002+01:00

Tonight Sam and I are off to Germany for Southside festival!.... whilst I am extremely nervous about how muddy it will be I also can't wait. There are some great bands playing and an adventure with Sam is always fun :) x see you guys next week xx

Working Weekend

2011-06-12T12:13:00.001+01:00

this weekend we are shooting a music video.. in a white room.. that we trash.. (unfortunately the cute dog is not in the film!) x

Blog.. Loving

2011-06-11T11:45:00.001+01:00

A new blog I am loving the dream whitewashed images of is Emma's Vintage ❤ go check it out :) x

Cloudy Day

2011-06-06T18:08:00.002+01:00

Wow! love this cloud day dress!!!!.... upcoming birthday present anyone?! xx

not a bank holiday weekend...

2011-06-06T14:16:00.004+01:00

Wow what a weekend of contrasts! x On friday I went to a friends engagement party! exciting... that friends are all tying the knot!.. then on saturday ran the race for life - we completed it in 30 minutes despite Hampstead's hills, although apparently our waiting men told us someone finished in 15 mins - seriously! - how?! We then picnicked on the heath and drank all day in the sun. After Saturdays lovely weather sunday rained all day so we didn't move from the house and sorted out our cd's (we are burning them all to itunes so we can get rid of them for shelf space!) and watched films and ate! x fab! x

Busy Bank Holiday

2011-05-31T17:36:00.003+01:00

Wow.. what a great weekend :) I managed to fit in Vintage Fairs on both Saturday (Dalston) and Sunday (Hampstead) and lovely dinners with friends on all days!

I also went to a talk on Vintage Postcards by Postcardese - so interesting! - did you know that tilting the stamp is a sign of affection! x

2011-05-29T15:10:00.000+01:00

Rospo
278 Hackney Road,
Bethnal Green,
London,
E2 7SJ

Tues-Sat: 11.00-18.00
Sun: 10.00-17.00

Rospo sells a neat collection of workwear, dungarees and breton tops but the store is really about the furniture the clothes are displayed on. Reconditioned crates and filing cabinets are available for hire or buy. x

La Vie Boutique

2011-05-27T14:43:00.000+01:00

La Vie Boutique
18 Broadway Market
London E8 4QJ

La Vie Boutique does not have specific opening hours - or specific stock.. a random selection of bits of pieces! But the owner is lovely and if your in the area then definately pop in. x

Ruche

2011-05-26T17:20:00.000+01:00

Notebook inspired lookbook! by Ruche- swoon!

also does anyone else follow the notebook on twitter - little snippets of love quotes! xx

Brewode's Cornucopia

2011-05-26T14:37:00.000+01:00

Brewode's Cornucopia
60 Broadway Market
London Fields
E8 4QJ
07709311869
info@brewode.com

sweetshop, cake shop, cafe and kitchenalia store! This cute little cafe is all decked out in tongue and groove and bunting - lovely place for an ice cream or coffeee. xx

Aussie Bootcamp

2011-05-25T17:57:00.005+01:00

On Saturday I was lucky enough to attend the Aussie Lighter Self Bootcamp! and Bootcamp it was!!.. circuits and teams complete with whistle!

It was great fun though! - I got to meet some really lovely bloggers and I even won a topshop voucher for my shoulder stand!!... a skill i never thought would get me anywhere!!

The lovely instructer was Amanda.. Gymanda! - see what she did there!? ;) x the pic is me with Yishene from Yishyene :D x

I didn't take my camera into the gym with me but here are some pictures courtesy of the lovely Aussie team :) x

Stella Blunt

2011-05-25T14:16:00.000+01:00

Stella Blunt
75 Broadway Market
London
E8 4PH

Wed-Fri: 12.30-18.00
Sat: 10.30-18.00
Sun: 12.00-17.00

Also on Broadway Market, another cute little furniture store is Stella Blunt - selling lovely cards alongside really covetable furniture I wanted to move in downstairs! x

Lena Hoschek

2011-05-24T15:24:00.005+01:00

Discovered from the Lovely Esme and the Lane Way , Lena Hoschek's collections are beautiful Vintage and Rockabilly inspired dresses and pencil skirts shot in fab locations. I'm not sure if you can buy online and they don't have a UK stockist - but definately one to watch!

MacBlack & Vine

2011-05-24T13:27:00.003+01:00

MacBlack & Vine
47 Broadway Market,
London E8 4PH

Mon- Sat: 12.00-20.00
Sun: 12.00-16.00

Whilst east on Sunday for Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair we took a wander down Broadway Market to check out the Vintage shops there. MacBlack & Vine was one of my favourite shops on the stretch, not just Retro and Vintage Furniture but also fine wines! (and reasonably priced) They even have fun little cards to fill in both your favourite furniture and wine - fun concept! x

Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair

2011-05-22T18:03:00.003+01:00

This morning Sam and I headed down to Judy's affordable vintage fair for a good rummage and to begin the first in the Vintage City Guide series. :)

Judy's Vintage Fair travels around different locations all over the UK (the next one is Mon 30th at spitalfiedlds) selling a great mix of vintage fashion, home wares and furniture.
Started by Judy Berger, an ex selfridges personal shopper and curators at Vintage at Goodwood and Vintage at the Southbank, the fairs usually have live music as well as a brilliant tea shop/cafe on site for tired boyfriends ;)

Upcoming Fairs are:
30th May: Spitalfields, London
4th June: Leeds Corn Exchange
4th June: Leamington Spa
12 June: The Hospitium, York
18th June: The Chester Guildhall
26th June: Balham bowls club, london
26th June: Rheged centre, Cumbria
3rd July: Leeds Market
15-18 July: Lovebox festival
29-31 July: southbank vintage festival, london

I would definitely advise getting there early as this one got very busy with a few ruthless shoppers - elbows definitely at the ready!

Pentameters Theatre

2011-05-21T21:36:00.005+01:00

Last night Sam and I went to the Pentameters Theatre in Hampstead.

Despite walking past it almost every day we have never seen a play in the theatre before and now that we have we will definately have to make it a regular occurance!

Located above the Horseshoe pub (which, by the way, although it's expensive does brilliant food) the theatre is tiny... probably only twice the size of our tiny living room.

We saw the Michael Field production of J.B Priestley's play 'The Linden Tree', set in 1947 the play follows a couple of days in the Linden household as the father, a university professor celebrates his birthday and experiences his possible retirement. The play reflects the fading optimism for the future in britain and the realities of the countries diminished position in the world.

I literally can not rave about this production enough! As the theatre was so small you are really engrossed in the play and both the material and acting were brilliant. At only £12 a ticket its similar to a cinema ticket price and so much better! - everyone go now! - the plays on for another couple of weeks :D xx

Lusciously lighter... ?

2011-05-20T12:56:00.007+01:00

I have been taking part in the Lusciously lighter Aussie challenge for a while now... I always used Aussie shampoo and conditioner anyway and the Lighter range smells just as great as the others... I originally pitched that I would try and do this.. to lead a lighter spring... x

I haven't done too badly!..

-as well as cycling more to work I also joined the gym! (oh yes!) and despite not being able to walk properly for a couple of days after overdoing it I have been going fairly regularly..

- I have definitely been drinking more tea, by the barrow full!

- I've been trying to call my parents more and have had a good catch up with my mum :)

- going to Spain meant I took a lot more photos, I still would really like a better camera though as half of them came out blurry!

- I made it to the idler academy... post coming soon!

- and finally... x I also dyed my hair darker.. !

phew!!! .... If you want to try it all out too then Aussie have these helpful vids up on their site. x

Aussie's Lusciously Light Videos: Part 1 from 1000heads on Vimeo.

Aussie's Lusciously Light Videos - Part 3! from 1000heads on Vimeo.

Tomorrow we have our first meet up!... I am a bit nervous about meeting everyone for the first time in my gym kit but am excited about meeting these great bloggers... x

check them all out and follow on twitter :) x

Andrea Garland - Vintage Lipgosses!

2011-05-20T11:23:00.002+01:00

Whilst wandering through Liberty's the other day I noticed a big pile of cute little vintage tin's in a bowl... surprised that liberty's had started selling vintage i went over to inspect them only to find out that they all had lipgloss in! - so cute! Andrea Garland recycles the old pots and fills with yummy new lipgloss which is also 100% natural.

Every tin is obviously unique and you can get refills once you have run out! - the perfect green beauty product!

Kylie

2011-05-19T22:12:00.000+01:00

have to love old kylie songs! x

Vintage City Guide

2011-05-19T11:13:00.003+01:00

I have decided that I am going to start making use of my huge pice of Vintage traders cards and favourite shops and start posting a guide to vintage shopping on her with a google map that has all the locations in... this may take a while so bear with me - but it's nice to have a project to get stuck into! xx

Sitges - The Wedding

2011-05-18T19:27:00.001+01:00

Emily was of course beautiful. Piera did of course cry ;) x all in all a wonderful day x (and apparently it's good luck if it rains on your wedding day!) x

Zooey news!!! x

2011-05-17T09:12:00.001+01:00

so excited!!!

Barcelona! - the lowdown

2011-05-11T23:16:00.009+01:00

I have been terribly slow in writing anything about Barcelona - sorry.. I wanted to do a proper city guide with all the places I visited and just haven't had time - instead here is a little summary!

I'm afraid I was a terrible tourist in Barcelona... I was fully equipped with map and guidebook yet my fear of looking like a tourist along with my sheer relief at being able to relax meant that I didn't really see any sights!

We were staying just off the ramblas (the main busy street) in the acta hotel so luckily enough were central enough to just wander - which is what i did! x

When i first arrived i was on my own so dumped my bags and set out to explore... right into a vintage fair! woohoo! apparently there is one every Thursday in the square...

It was packing up but i snapped up a vintage seltzer bottle for 30E which then filled my entire easyjet hand baggage allowance so i could buy no more!

After a lot more exploring Sam arrived and we went out for blue sangria!? (yup! blue!?)

the next day we hung around mostly at the beach before heading to Sitges for the reason of the trip - Emily's wedding!

Sitges was lovely - I would definitely recommend a trip to the 'Hotel Romantic' and the marina... although watch out for the nudist beach on the way! - we accidentally sunbathed there for a day without even realising! x

a proper guide to come soon folks :) x sorry x

busy Britannia

2011-05-10T22:44:00.006+01:00

Home sweet Home from Barcelona - Having just eaten the biggest bowl of pasta ever (literally - i think i just had an entire pack of spaghetti to myself!) i am gearing myself up for a manic week. After flight delays coming home last night we arrived back to Hampstead this morning only to empty our suitcases onto the floor and change before heading off to work again :(
I did manage to fit in a sneaky drink tonight before coming home though at the Book Club again. This time to celebrate Sugarhill boutique opening online. Selling a collection of cute floral and printed dresses all made by brother and sister duo Alex and Pawel and utilising Bali skills and workshops they definately have some summer essentials..I particularly like the cute hawaii playsuit :) x

Home time :(

2011-05-10T10:16:00.000+01:00

2011-05-09T10:15:00.000+01:00

recovery day

2011-05-08T10:15:00.000+01:00

wedding day!

2011-05-07T10:14:00.000+01:00

x

2011-05-06T10:12:00.000+01:00

Barcelona!

2011-05-05T00:54:00.003+01:00

I'm off to spain for a friends wedding :) see you all in a few days

Sunday Wanderings

2011-05-02T17:23:00.004+01:00

On Sunday Sam and I wanted to make the most of the sun so went out for one of my favourite days - a lazy wander around the area where we live. Freud's house, which is down the road from us is currently wrapped in hair by Artist Alice Anderson, so we took a wander there.. then there also happened to be a collectors fair on in the village hall where I picked up a cute little spoon and an amazing mother of pearl (?) purse that opens to reveal a make up compact! x

We sat next to the ponds for a while and ended up walking through highgate and kentish town before heading back to eat :) perfect.

The Diner

2011-05-02T14:16:00.003+01:00

My friend Eleanor was back in London on saturday after moving to Bristol a few months ago. As well as a much needed catch up we ate our weight in food at the Diner :) we definately do not do this often enough! x

P.s Check out Eleanor's lovely pictures over on Odd & Chic

A Vintage Royal Wedding

2011-05-02T13:03:00.006+01:00

Whilst I am not a fan of the Royal Family I love any excuse to have a day off work and party all day! My friend Madeleine travelled up to London and we went down to the Leonard Street Street Party - because really, what goes better with a wedding than vintage shopping!! x

Organised by the Book Club we weren't organised enough to book tickets so turned up at 10 to collect wristbands... only to be greeted by a queue 3 times round the block! wow! After queueing for around an hour we were lucky enough to be smuggled in by someone I met on twitter! x

once in we were greeted by bunting, popcorn, a vintage market, scones and gin cocktails. yum! x

Later in the day I met my dad at the Republican's Love Republic party where Sam and I bid in a charity auction and won 12 bottles of champagne and a theatre ticket! x We then met some friends outside Buckingham palace to carry on drinking :S x

Easter Weekend

2011-04-25T22:17:00.003+01:00

A few images from my Easter weekend :)

The Festival of Britain

2011-04-24T09:43:00.004+01:00

The Southbank is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the festival of britain, a festival that started in 1951 to try to raise spirits after the end of the war.

Although the rather scary looking fairground rides are no longer there they have various shows and exhibitions running up to september.. we went yesterday to check out the beach and urban gardens :) and have a few ciders xx

Surprises & Angry Birds

2011-04-22T21:11:00.005+01:00

As my post below let you all know tuesday was Sam's birthday.... although i couldn't say it on the day I had planned him a surprise party at the strongrooms in shoreditch... it was fab, I wore my new bedjacket/dress and my jeffrey campbell shoes- so many amazing people made the effort to come - some, including sam's mum even came all the way down from the midlands! x

We drank far too much and partied all night but it was brilliant!

This is the cake that i copied for sam... except in my excitement i hardly took any photos!..

I followed the instructions here, and would highly recommend it! great fun! xx

Happy Birthday Sam!

2011-04-19T09:15:00.001+01:00

Today is my boyfriend's birthday..... it definitely doesn't feel like a year ago when i blogged this!

All of it still stands - here's a few to add to the list!

- he can fall asleep anywhere; Bus stop benches and tubes included

- he does the washing up :)

- he is very cutely addicted to the wire

- he looks darn good in a vintage shirt

- he can party as hard as he works

He is wonderful and makes me very happy :)

Happy Birthday Sam! x

Sunday roundup

2011-04-17T22:56:00.001+01:00

Here's a few things that happened to me this week....

-I joined the Gym! - as part of my Aussie 'Lighter self' plan to get healthier, and also just for myself (i really want to lose a stone) i thought this would kick me into exercising!... I also received my Aussie workout t shirt in the post at work! then... I got ill!.. and had to work from home subsequently doing no exercise!

My mum and brother came to London for mexican and margaritas with Sam and I.

Alice, Becky an I had a girly dinner...

and Becky bought me some fab tissueclouds pencils and pen pot!

Emily had an awesome hen do.... i forgot my camera but bought two disposable ones on the way there. these are the only iphone pictures i took, whilst we were getting ready.

I joined Instragram.. ..like twitter for pictures.. i think!

I went vintage shopping in primrose hill vintage fair with sam and bought this bed jacket/dress:

Then went to a pub in old street with Allie where we watched morris dancers and there was a guy in full gimp getup!

not bad for a week full of a cold! x

Pallet planting

2011-04-15T13:41:00.003+01:00

I love this idea found over on apartment therapy.

Just find a pallet, line the back with landscaping material and fill! - beautiful!

Melancholia

2011-04-14T12:00:00.000+01:00

Melancholia from Zentropa on Vimeo.

this film looks bizarre... and yet still good!?

Bikini Season

2011-04-11T22:33:00.003+01:00

Sam and I are travelling to Barcelona in a few weeks for a friends wedding in nearby Sitges..... I think this definately calls for a wedding bikini and these pictures of model Jeisa Chiminazzo for Anthropologie's April 2011 Look Book totally make me want to buy one of theirs... the pink belted swimsuit maybe!? x

etsy favourites

2011-04-09T10:52:00.000+01:00

some items i'm loving on etsy at the moment...

leather bag

yellow bag

suitcase

blue suitcase

red skirt

Sailor dress

white dress

Spring is in the air

2011-04-08T13:40:00.002+01:00

Today's slightly more springlike outfit... I'm keeping the tights for a while still though!
Dress: Vintage

Watch with Mother

2011-04-06T13:58:00.000+01:00

We used to have this on VHS when I was a child :)

Spring Pastels

2011-04-05T17:11:00.002+01:00

indoor picnic

2011-04-05T11:54:00.000+01:00

This saturday we had a birthday picnic for my dad.... we were planning on going to the heath but the weather was not great so instead we just lay the blanket out indoors. x

i made everyone little boxes of lunch...

we decamped to the pub for a bit :)

and we all tried out sam's trombone! x

Victoria Sponge

2011-04-04T14:03:00.002+01:00

This weekend I made a classic victoria sponge for my Dads birthday... then because I wanted to eat the cake there and then I made some mini victoria sponge aswell!

The recipe is so easy - for the mini ones i just halved the quantities and baked in a muffin tin. x

Ingredients:
225g/8oz butter or margarine, softened at room temperature
225g/8oz caster sugar
4 medium eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
225g/8oz self raising flour
milk, to loosen

method:
-Grease and line 2 x 18cm/7in cake tins with baking paper. (i only have one cake tin so i just used this twice!)
- Cream the butter and the sugar together in a bowl until pale and fluffy.
-Beat in the eggs, a little at a time, and stir in the vanilla extract.
-Fold in the flour using a large metal spoon, adding a little extra milk if necessary, to create a batter with a soft dropping consistency.
-Divide the mixture between the cake tins and gently spread out with a spatula.
-Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden-brown on top and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
-Remove from the oven and set aside for 5 minutes, then remove from the tin and peel off the paper. Place onto a wire rack.

Sandwich the cakes together with jam, lemon curd or whipped cream and berries or just enjoy on its own.

I used rhubard and ginger Jam for the large cake and blackcurrant and lavender for the small ones :) yummy :)

♥

2011-04-04T10:31:00.000+01:00

Vogue Italia September 2007

i heart Rodarte

2011-04-01T12:58:00.002+01:00

Aussie Angel!

2011-03-31T15:06:00.006+01:00

Oh my goodness! ... I have been the worst with posting ever!! My laptop is broken again and I seem to have been absolutely non-stop. So much has happened though - I won the chance to be an Aussie Angel with my previous post! - i'm not entirely sure what this entails yet but im excited non the less!.. im in some excellent company, although i have to admit im a bit nervous about all their beauty knowledge! - hopefully they can teach me a thing or two! - here are the other winners:

Clare from Big Beauty Blog

Lauren from Lauren Loves

Felicity from Felicity xoxo

Hannah from Hello Beautiful

Tabitha from Scared Toast

Gem from Sparkle Sparkle

Jenn from Beauty Bloggings

Lauren from LaurenRhiannon

Emily from Trash Fashion

i've also styled a couple of shoots, been out a LOT! and...... bought new shoes!!!!

Yes! - i bought THE jeffrey campbell amazing shoes! - i've worn them every evening since!! xx

youtube... aiding nostalgia everywhere!

2011-03-30T23:14:00.001+01:00

X just because! x

2011-03-22T20:25:00.002Z

Shooting

2011-03-21T18:17:00.003Z

finishing up todays shoot ... tomorrow and wednesday i am styling again :S

Rhubarb Crumble Cake

2011-03-21T10:00:00.003Z

Yesterday I made this great cake from Liberty London Girl's blog..

Mine didn't turn out anywhere near as neat though - not having a large enough cake tin as soon as i put mine in the oven and it started to rise it was a cake volcano - oozing all over my oven!

either way it tasted good - go bake! x

Ingredients:

200g Butter

400g Caster Sugar

4 eggs

400g Self Raising Flour

Eight Stalks Rhubarb chopped up

Crumble topping

150g butter

150g plain flour

30g caster sugar

Method: Bung the butter & sugar in the processor and whizz to a thick cream together. Add two eggs, whizz. Add 4tbsps of the flour. Whizz. Ad the last two eggs. Whizz. Add the rest of the flour. Whizz. That’s your cake batter.

Pour it into your well-greased cake tin. Scatter over the chopped rhubarb. (You don’t mix it in as it would all just sink to the bottom. This way it distributes itself pretty evenly through the cake as it cooks.) Mix together the butter and flour in the food processor. Pour the resulting crumbs over the rhubarb, and sprinkle over the sugar. That’s your crumble topping.

Put in the oven for at least 35 mins. It’s cooked when a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Voila

I want to ride my bicycle!

2011-03-18T16:15:00.002Z

Testing the lights on todays shoot! x

Teddy girl

2011-03-16T10:46:00.000Z

Last week I attempted this hairstyle for a friends night out.. my fringe was definately not helping but I got pretty close! x

type

2011-03-15T13:16:00.000Z

On Sunday evening we ended up at one of my favourite cocktail bars for a late night drink, 69 Colebrook Row these are some of the fab type prints up on their walls (excuse the bad iphone pics!) x

Spring

2011-03-14T16:03:00.007Z

Warning!... This is an unashamedly self promotion competition post - hope you all don't mind :) ! xx

Fab Frocks has blogged about an Aussie competition to be an Aussie Angel.. and well, as a regular Aussie user I couldn't not enter!.... as should you!

The question i need to answer is “Put a spring in your spring! Tell us, how would you lighten up your life?"

Without trying to sound too much like a game show contestant - 'well Cilla, to lighten my life!....." I actually do think its a relevant question!... after what feels like the worlds longest winter and being ridiculously bogged down in work and everyday stresses it is definately one of my resolutions.. (speaking of which why aren't all resolutions in the spring!? - much better than january when all i want to do is watch dvd's in bed!)

I know I feel the pressure to keep up with technology, if i haven't checked twitter for a while or my blog feed gets up to over 500 unread blogs i definately feel panicked, and thats on top of my work emails and calls.... so one resolution to lighten my life is is to just try to simply the pressures - or just put them into more perspective!.. If I haven't read all my favourite blogs then nothing bad will happen!.. and the same for the pile of clothes waiting to go away in the corner of my room!

I also really want to take more time to slow down and read more books, go for walks and hang out with friends, and of course I can't wait to start cycling to work again, this will hopefully lighten my weight as well as my mood. In general to try to follow some of Tom Hodginkson from the Idler's advice, and maybe even make it down to their new academy

That, and of course use lots of Aussie products!.. I am always making resolutions to do more with my hair than just put in some leave in conditioner and leave the house... and this year so far I have succeeded - regularly sporting a beehive... and even a fab teddy girl quiff! x

Weekend

2011-03-14T11:20:00.008Z

I finally got my laptop back on friday.. although it now has something else wrong with it so may well be making another trip to the apple store and be another week without it :( I'm really missing being able to blog! x

Anyway... a sneaky 5 minutes at work brings you.. My Weekend in pictures...

we hired Boris bikes and cycled down to Hyde park then on to Knightsbridge :)

Sam had never been to Harrods so we got lost in there for a while

Then I met Andre Leon Talley!!!

On sunday we had a brilliant roast at the garrison with my dad

then pub and dominoes with friends and finishing at 69 Colebrook row.

Brilliant! x

Suitcase seat

2011-03-01T18:18:00.002Z

How amazing is this!... from Su Kutusu. x

Lets procrastinate

2011-02-28T18:37:00.000Z

Love Sugar

2011-02-28T12:34:00.003Z

Sorry for the lack of posts everyone.. my laptop keyboard has died so I am waiting to get it fixed :(

Love Sugar Design have some realy pretty prints over at their Etsy shop perfect in your in a romantic mood!

Celebrity

2011-02-15T19:08:00.000Z

beautiful image from From Me to You

Vintage finds

2011-02-15T16:18:00.001Z

These are the dresses I bought on Sundays Vintage Fair - love them! x

Pretty in Pink

2011-02-13T10:00:00.000Z

Some pink images that are inspiring me at the moment x

Vintage Fair

2011-02-12T18:51:00.004Z

When I was in Bristol last weekend I popped into Clifton Vintage Boutique... although i couldn't afford to buy anything the lovely owner gave me free tickets to a vintage fair in london tomorrow! How lovely! xx

If anyone else is interested in going I may well have some spare tickets - tweet me or message me and ill try to meet you there. x

VENUE: Olympia Hilton Hotel events
ADDRESS: 380, Kensington High Street, London, London, W14 8NL
START DATE: 13 February 2011
OPENING TIMES: 08.00am until 5.00pm (i'm not getting there til 11 though) x

Penelope

2011-02-12T11:34:00.004Z

Last night my boyfriend kicked off valentines weekend with a surprise trip to the theatre... We went to the Hampstead theatre to see Penelope by Edna Walsh, the play described online as ' a slice of Homer’s Odyssey re-imagined in a surreal fable for our times' was set in a drained swimming pool! and was really very good. Afterwards we went to a really cute little local italian that served homemade cakes and had items hung all from the walls - we sat underneath the bike! brilliant night :) x

(sorry for the blurry iphone pics!)

Dont Worry

2011-02-11T15:54:00.002Z

UV

2011-02-09T16:27:00.002Z

We have UV lights in the studio at work today.... here are some iphone pictures while I was playing around! x

Bristol

2011-02-06T02:11:00.004Z

Yesterday I visited a friend in Bristol - Having read great things from Kate's blog I was super excited to visit all the little boutiques. Despite the Gale force winds it didnt dissapoint and though funds prevented me from buying anything i'd love to come back with a full wallet. My favourite shop was definately Clifton Vintage Boutique where there was a gorgeous dress just a bit out of my price range - she is going to be at the olympia vintage fair next weekend. We finished the night with many many cocktails - such fun xx

Vive Le France

2011-02-05T10:01:00.001Z

Wildfox Couture - Vive La France from ny lon on Vimeo.

I will never love you more ...

2011-02-04T17:49:00.000Z

than this Kate Spade movie...

Knit one PURL one...

2011-02-03T13:05:00.002Z

Last night my friend and i went to purl in Marylebone, a speakeasy bar along the lines of 69 colebrooke, bourne and hollingsworth and lounge bohemia - although bigger than all three.

We booked to be on the safe side and even though we were perched at a tiny crate table while the rest of the bar appeared empty I'm still glad we did as we overheard others being turned away.

the cocktails were nice - a little more expensive than similar bars which seem to stick to a £7-8 price range but the food ( a huge cheese board) was only £10 which made up for it... x

Definitely worth a visit for a nice laid back evening... just try and block out the city types on dates. x

Wednesdays child is full of woe....

2011-02-02T12:18:00.003Z

and so I bought myself some Diptyque solid fig perfume to cheer myself up!.

this stuff is great!... its so hard to get little travel bottles of perfume and there is no way im lugging around big ones!... while the solid perfume of my childhood was hippy scents in little jewelled tins this one is surprisingly heavy, comes with a cute pouch and is in my favourite scent!

This is my desk today... do you recognise my etsy jar?

Chictopia

2011-01-31T15:30:00.003Z

Is anyone else on Chictopia? .... A site where you can post outfits and comment on others.. I love outfit posts on others blogs but am always a bit too nervous (and not a good enough photographer) to post them on here... Chictopia seems like an easy way to break myself in and get used to taking daily pictures... hopefully more will wind their way up on here too xx